MMA: Indonesian Fighter Fransino Ready to Wow Home Crowd – Jakarta Globe

01/03/2012 | Author: MMA Admin

MMA: Indonesian Fighter Fransino Ready to Wow Home Crowd
Ami Afriatni | February 22, 2012

Fransino Tirta will finally have what he’s craved for so long – home crowd support.

Indonesia’s top mixed martial arts fighter will have his first bout at home in seven years when he takes on Yusuke Kawanago of Japan on March 30 at the Jakarta Convention Center.

The featherweight bout will be one of 10 organized by Legend Fighting Championships, a Hong Kong-based, three-year-old MMA organization that invites fighters from throughout the Asia-Pacific to compete for regional supremacy. The event will mark Legend FC’s Indonesia debut.

“The last time I fought in Indonesia was in 2005. After that, I tried my luck abroad as there was no longer an MMA event in the country,” the 31-year-old fighter told reporters on Wednesday. “Every time I fight abroad, I feel so lonely since there’s no one cheering for me, even when I win.

“Now I’ll have my chance to hear rowdy supporters cheer. I won’t waste it. I’ll win the bout.”

Fransino, whose fighting style mainly incorporates Brazilian jiujitsu and boxing, is still regarded as the country’s top-ranked fighter. During his eight-year career in the sport, he has 15-0-1 record with 5 KO wins.

In his last fight, in July last year, Fransino beat Wu Chengjie of China by unanimous decision in Macau.

The 29-year-old Kawanago has an 8-3-1 record with four KO victories. His previous match was also a victory against Wu.

Fransino said he has yet to fight against his future opponent, though rated the Japanese as a great knockout artist.

“He’s good fighter with killer punches. I’ve been working to improve my striking and grappling to face him. I won’t let him knock me out,” he said.

The arrival of Legend FC in Jakarta indicates growing Indonesian interest in MMA, which has been dormant in the country since the local premier event, the TPI FC, was disbanded in 2005. Fransino was TPI FC featherweight champion.

On Feb. 11, Singapore-based ONE FC put the sport back on the national scene as an estimated 4,500 fans flocked to Sports Mall in Kelapa Gading, Jakarta, to watch the competition.

Michael Haskamp, Legend FC managing director, said fight organizers wanted to tap the huge potential of Indonesia’s market, where MMA once enjoyed a cult following.

“Legend was founded to develop fighters in Asia-Pacific. We are searching for the best fighters from China, Japan and Indonesia,” Haskamp said.

With Fransino on the card, Haskamp said he hoped lots of fans here would be lured back.

“We’re very lucky to have him,” Haskamp said.

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Penn: A Filipino will win UFC someday

30/11/2011 | Author: MMA Admin

ULTIMATE Fighting Championship star BJ Penn is all pumped up to conduct his workout and rock Manila today.

The former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion will do his public workout today at 4 p.m. at the music hall of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Penn, one of only two UFC fighters in history to capture belts in two different weight classes, couldn’t hide his excitement Tuesday in his press conference at the ABS-CBN building in Quezon City, knowing that Filipinos are rabid Mixed Martial Arts fanatics.

‘’Can’t wait to see the fans here in the Philippines. It’s true, the Manila fans are hardcore. I like that,’’ said Penn.

Also, the talented fighter believes that a Filipino can some day win a title in the UFC considering that a lot of fighters from the Philippines are quite passionate.

‘’It’s not going to be long until there is a Filipino champion in the UFC,’’ added Penn.

Originally, reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Jon ‘’Bones’’ Jones was the one supposed to visit the country, but his schedule prevented him from coming over. He was slated to defend his title in a huge fight against former title holder Lyoto Machida next week.

Penn, also a former world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, was then asked to step in and replace Jones.

In his last fight, Penn, dubbed as ‘the Prodigy’ for his natural talent, was beaten down by Nick Diaz in a lopsided unanimous decision in their Oct. 29 showdown in UFC 137.

Right after the fight, Penn, surprisingly, said that he might retire and that ‘’this will be the last time you’ll see me here.’’

As of the moment, the 32-year-old warrior from Hilo, Hawaii is still contemplating on his future.

‘’I’m still taking the time off to get my hunger for the game back again. If I feel like I’m the baddest man on the planet, then I’ll call (UFC President) Dana White.’’

Balls, the official carrier of the UFC in the country, is handling the event as it brings one fighter per year in the country. Jeric Lopez

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UFC fight card in PH mulled for next year

30/11/2011 | Author: MMA Admin

MANILA, Philippines – With the emergence of Fil-Am Mark Muñoz, talks are now being held to hold a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fight card in the country next year.

“There’s a chance the UFC will hold fights in the Philippines, the UFC is working it out with ABS-CBN and Balls, maybe next year,” said Kevin Chang, UFC-Asia’s senior director for media in yesterday’s press conference highlighted by the appearance of former two-division champion BJ Penn in Quezon City.

Chang is here along with Penn, one of the only two fighters besides former light heavy and heavyweight champion Randy “The Natural” Couture who won titles in two divisions after winning as a lightweight and welterweight, for a promotional tour set at 4 p.m. today at the Music Hall of Mall of Asia.

UFC has already invaded Asia as the premier mixed martial arts organization in the world as it holds the UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan, the first big fight card to be held in the region.

And if plans pushes through, the UFC could put Muñoz, who is reportedly fighting top middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen next year, in one of the main fights in the card along with recent Manila visitor Brandon “The Truth” Vera, who is fighting in the loaded light heavy division.

UFC has considered holding bouts in the PH as early as three years ago when UFC top honcho Lorenzo Fertitta visited the country.

But while the plan didn’t push through due to economic crisis, the UFC kept treating Filipino fans with popular fighters, including Vera, retired legend Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, reigning welterweight titlist George St. Pierre (GSP) and now Penn.

Penn, in his second visit since coaching a pair of students in an international MMA fight eight years ago, is enjoying every minute of his short but meaningful stay in the country.

“I never got to go outside too much but it’s the same because there is the same temperature and vibes here just like in Hawaii,” said Penn, who signed autographs, posed with fans and granted one-on-one interviews.

Balls, headed by Jojo Estacio, has been showing UFC fights with replays aired on Studio 23.

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UFC confirms Edgar defence in Japan return

28/11/2011 | Author: MMA Admin

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — The UFC has confirmed its return to Japan with Frankie (The Answer) Edgar defending his lightweight title against former WEC title-holder Ben Henderson at UFC Japan — or UFC 144 — on Feb. 26 at Saitama, Japan.

The show is the first for the UFC in Asia since Zuffa Inc. bought the mixed martial arts organization in 2001.

Also on the main card at Saitama Super Arena in suburban Tokyo, former light-heavyweight champion Quinton (Rampage) Jackson faces Ryan (Darth) Bader, heavyweight Mark Hunt takes on Cheick Kongo, Japanese welterweight Yoshihiro Akiyama tackles Jake Shields and lightweight Anthony (Showtime) Pettis fights Joe Lauzon.

UFC 144 marks the sixth anniversary to the day that Jackson, then competing in Pride, last fought in Japan.

On the undercard, it’s Yushin Okami versus Tim Boetsch, Takanori Gomi versus George Sotiropoulos, Hatsu Hioki versus Bart Palaszewski, Kid Yamamoto versus Vaughan Lee, Riki Fukuda versus Steve Cantwell, Takeya Mizugaki versus Chris Cariaso and Leonard Garcia versus Tiequan Zhang.

The UFC’s last show in Japan was UFC 29 in December 2000.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship’s ‘The Prodigy’ BJ Penn to Rock Manila

26/11/2011 | Author: MMA Admin

Balls (Skycable Channel 34), the home of the UFC in the Philippines, proudly brings “BJ Penn: The Prodigy in Manila.” Fans will get the opportunity to see the 2-time UFC champion in an open training and public appearance on November 30 (Wednesday) 4:00pm at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

The 32-year-old Penn holds the rare accomplishment of winning two titles in two different weight divisions in the UFC. Penn is also the only man in UFC history to face seven different UFC Champions.

At the very young age of of 17, Penn tried his hand in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Three years later, Penn earned his black belt in the martial art. In 2000, Penn became the first non-Brazilian to top the black belt category in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships. Penn’s early exploits and success in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu earned him the nickname “The Prodigy” and Penn was well on his way to a promising career in the sport of professional mixed martial arts (MMA).

He made his professional debut with the UFC in May 2001 at “UFC 31: Locked and Loaded” against Joey Gilbert whom he defeated via a technical knock-out in just under 5 minutes.

His performance against the legendary welterweight champion Matt Hughes at “UFC 46: Supernatural” cemented Penn’s superstar status. It took Penn just 4 minutes and 30 seconds to submit Hughes via a rear naked choke, thus securing the UFC welterweight title.

On January 2008 in “UFC 80: Rapid Fire,” Penn defeated Joe “Daddy” Stevenson to finally earn the UFC lightweight belt that had eluded him twice prior. He then successfully defended his title three times.

He also successfully topped an epic trilogy against Matt Hughes in “UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida” in 2010. Penn scored a knockout victory over Hughes in just 21 seconds of the very first round to claim the trilogy between the two legends, 2-1.

Catch this once-in-a-lifetime UFC experience with BJ Penn. Always tune in to Balls for updates. Balls channel is available on SkyCable Platinum, SkyCable Gold, SkyCable Silver and over 200 quality cable operators nationwide. Follow us at facebook.com/BallsChannel.

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UFC 137 Fight Card: What Hatsu Hioki Must Do to Beat George Roop

29/10/2011 | Author: MMA Admin

What must Hatsu Hioki do to defeat George Roop tonight?

The answer lies beneath kicks, punches and choke holds. The answer is more on the inside of the Japanese fighter—it’s in his belief in himself.

He must calm the mental anguish and anxiety that comes with fighting in the big show against the world’s best.

Japanese-sensation fighters are notorious for having highly touted skills and experience in Asia, but not being able to execute those skills under the bright lights in big-stake fights against the best fighters of the UFC.

Hioki is now in this exact same position.

He is a Japanese star on an incredible roll in his career, and he is making his debut a long way from his home country in the best organization in the world.

He surely has the skills and experience to beat Roop, but can Hioki maintain the confidence and belief in those skills when the cage door locks, unlike so many other Japanese fighters before him? 

In terms of the technical game plan, Hioki is a submission wizard and he surely wants to take this fight to the ground.

Roop has a definite striker’s chance in this one. Hioki is 24-4 in his career with an incredible 14-submission wins, but he will have to be aggressive and take a few before he is able to get this fight to the ground.

So many Japanese fighters seem to freeze up in their confidence and aggression against the best of the west, letting their opponents dictate the fight from the opening to the inevitable end.

Hioki must reverse this trend, believe in his skills and impose his fight confidently on Roop. If he is tentative and unsure of himself in there, Roop will bully him and keep the fight in his world.

I believe Hioki is more like fellow Japanese star Yushin Okami, in that he believes he deserves to be among the best fighters in the world and will go out there and prove it.

Unlike many Japanese fighters before him, he must confidently believe he is the best man in the cage tonight—and the rest should take care of itself for victory.

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.

Catch him on Facebook and Twitter at wakafightermma.

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Dubai’s Abraaj plans new investments in southeast Asia

21/10/2011 | Author: MMA Admin

(MENAFN) Dubai-based Abraaj Capital unveiled a plan to spend part of a USD2 billion fund in Southeast Asian natural resources to meet rising regional demand for coal, metals and agricultural products, Arabian Business reported.

A principal at Abraaj Capital Asia Pte said that Abraaj Capital is interested in copper and tin mines in Indonesia, while agriculture-related investments will be focused primarily in Vietnam and Malaysia.

He also said that Abraaj plans to acquire minority stakes in education, health care, logistics, financial, manufacturing and retail companies in Southeast Asia and India.

Acording to Abraaj Capital, the company has been operating in India since 2006 through a joint venture with Sabre Capital Worldwide Inc. and owns stakes in three infrastructure companies and an art dealer in the country.

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UFC Champ Jones: Toronto is the MMA Mecca, Philippine Appearance Update and Dream Fight Prediction

13/10/2011 | Author: MMA Admin

 

UFC Champ Jones: Toronto is the MMA Mecca, Philippine Appearance Update and Dream Fight Prediction

By Socrates Celestial
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 13 Oct 2011

Toronto, ON – Boxing/MMA Coach and Analyst Socrates Celestial caught up with pound-for-pound champion Jon “Bones” Jones for an exclusive one on one interview away from the live televised UFC 140 presser located inside the Air Canada Center (ACC). Jon “Bones” Jones shed light on why he will remain champion against Lyoto Machida with upcoming UFC 140, slated for December 10th, 2011 inside the Air Canada Center. The well dressed and exuberant Champion showed respect and excitement for all the screaming fans and eager journalist, while in company with Dana White and Lyoto Machida only feet away. The UFC Light Heavyweight Champion also updated his status for his appearance in Philippines/Asia and his prediction if Floyd Mayweather Jr. agrees to fight Manny Pacquiao:


Socrates Celestial: What is the biggest threat that Lyoto Machida presents to you?

Jon “Bones” Jones: It’s the person he is. The level of discipline that he has, you know he’s a well-rounded fighter so you can’t really pin-point what would be the biggest threat. He’s been able to escape just about anything and he’s shown that in more of his recent fights so I just have to be ready for everything.

SC: What do you think of the Canadian fan base this being your first time here?

JBJ: You guys are awesome! I heard how loyal the fan base is up here, but I wasn’t expecting this. People say that (Las) Vegas is the Mecca for fighting, but I disagree. Canadians are way more into this. If you ask me, Toronto is the Mecca for MMA and for The UFC.

SC: What do think about Machida’s one strike kayo power, as demonstrated with Couture or Evans, and does that pose a threat to you?

JBJ: It’s a fight and everyone has one punch kayo power if you’re caught standing still. I think everyone I’ve fought this year has amazing kayo power, but the name of the game is to be hit as least as possible.

SC: (laughing) that sounds like a good game plan.

JBJ: (laughing) that’s what I intend to do.

SC: What do you think when critics say that your age is your downfall and that it is only a matter of time before someone with more experience exposes you?

JBJ: I think my age is an asset. When people refer to age as a bad thing it’s usually associated with immaturity. For me it means staying out of the night clubs, not partying and things like that. I’m not going to say that I don’t have fun, but when it comes to martial arts I’m deadly serious. From the time that bout is signed, it’s a new me. Because I have wisdom of an older gentleman, my youth is only an advantage.

SC: There are rumors that you’re going to Philippines. Can you confirm that?

JBJ: I was actually going to the Philippines for training camp, but that all changed when this fight got signed. It wouldn’t work out because the fight would have landed right in the middle of camp.

SC: Last question, Pacquiao or Mayweather?

JBJ: (reluctant) Ummm……..Pacquiao!

The UFC returns to Toronto, Canada for the second time this year after record breaking gate and attendance sales along with a successful week of profitable fight festivities back in April 30. 2011 from UFC 129. The stacked UFC 140 Toronto Fight card will take place on December 10, 2011 at the Air Canada Center located in Downtown Toronto Canada. The complete UFC 140 fight card can be seen on www.UFC.com and www.thedigitalfightjournal.com. Tickets go on sale this Saturday.

Click here to view a list of other articles written by Socrates Celestial.


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Reigning UFC® Middleweight Champion Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva Selected by Fans to Serve as Cover Athlete for UFC …

10/10/2011 | Author: MMA Admin

Press Release Source: THQ Inc. On Monday October 10, 2011, 6:00 am

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI – News) and Zuffa, LLC today announced that reigning UFC® middleweight champion Anderson Silva has been named the cover athlete for UFC Undisputed®3, the forthcoming installment in the critically acclaimed mixed martial arts (MMA) videogame franchise from the Ultimate Fighting Championship®. The Brazilian-sensation Silva, who most recently defeated top contender Yushin Okami at UFC® Rio in August to retain his middleweight championship, currently holds both the longest winning streak and longest title defense streak in UFC history.

In a franchise-first opportunity, fans were invited to vote online for one of five current UFC champions – Silva, UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones or UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez – to be this year’s cover athlete. More than 110,000 votes were cast by fans from around the world, with Silva garnering the largest percentage among his fellow competitors.

“Enabling fans worldwide to select the UFC Undisputed 3 cover athlete has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Games, THQ. “Anderson Silva possesses a tremendous work ethic and incredible prowess inside the Octagon, making him an excellent choice to serve as our cover athlete for the game.”

“The fans have voted and Anderson Silva will be on the cover of UFC Undisputed 3,” UFC President Dana White said. “This game has a ton of new features, including the PRIDE mode, and we can’t wait for fans to get a chance to play it.”

About UFC Undisputed 3®

UFC Undisputed 3 will take players inside the virtual Octagon® with focus on intense toe-to-toe combat, impressive visual presentation and significantly increased accessibility, including the debut of PRIDE® Mode, two new weight classes and an impressive playable roster of more than 150 UFC fighters. PRIDE Mode will enable players to fight for the first time in the renowned Japanese MMA organization and include official commentators Bas Rutten and Stephen Quadros, authentic environments and notorious MMA rules, including the ability to execute soccer-style kicks, head stomps and ground knees to the head. Finishing an opponent will be more important than ever through devastating new moves, responsive striking controls, refined visual presentation and the introduction of a brand new, graphic-based submission system. In addition, players will now enter the Octagon with a choice between traditional and simplified gameplay control options, enabling them, regardless of skill level, to experience the intensity of UFC and nuances of MMA combat while executing simple standing strikes or more complex ground and transition mechanics.

Players will also experience the excitement of a live UFC event through significant visual improvements, including the introduction of much-anticipated fighter entrances, new camera positions, improved facial animations and a gritty, high contrast appearance. They will enter into battle with an unparalleled choice of more than 150 playable UFC fighters, including talent from the newly added featherweight and bantamweight divisions. Rounding out the virtual UFC experience with a significantly revamped online experience, as well as a variety of new and returning gameplay modes, UFC Undisputed 3 lets players have their fights – their way – to deliver the most intense, competitive and engaging experience to date for the franchise.

UFC Undisputed 3 is currently in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, with a scheduled release of January 2012.

For more information on UFC Undisputed 3, please visit www.ufcundisputed.com, facebook.com/UFCUndisputed and twitter.com/UFC_Undisputed.

About Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s VERSUS network. Beginning November 12, 2011 FOX will broadcast four fights annually. In spring 2012, The Ultimate Fighter®, UFC’s signature weekly reality TV show debuts on FX. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 132 countries and territories, reaching 597 million homes worldwide, in 21 different languages.

UFC® also boasts a powerful presence online, with UFC.com attracting over seven million unique visitors per month, while also possessing one of the most powerful social media followings in all of professional sports. To date, UFC has over six million fans on Facebook and over 300,000 followers on Twitter. In addition, UFC President Dana White is one of the most accessible and most followed executives in sports with over 1.6 million followers on Twitter. On January 22, 2011, UFC continued to set trends in social media, becoming the first major sports league to stream live, broadcast quality action on Facebook.

Ancillary businesses include best-selling DVDs, a bimonthly magazine, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, and articulated action figures.

About THQ Inc.

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI – News) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and all logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies in the U.S. and/or other countries.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon™and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. PRIDE®, PRIDE FC™, PRIDE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS® and BUSHIDO® are trademarks of Pride FC Worldwide Holdings, LLC registered in the United States and other countries. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.

All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

THQ Forward-Looking Statements: The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the business of THQ Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “THQ”), including, but not limited to, expectations and projections related to the release and expected features of UFC Undisputed 3 are based upon management’s current beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, business, competitive, economic, legal, political and technological factors affecting our industry, operations, markets, products or pricing. Readers should carefully review the risk factors and the information that could materially affect THQ’s financial results, described in other documents that THQ files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2011 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and particularly the discussion of trends and risk factors set forth therein. Unless otherwise required by law, THQ disclaims any obligation to update its view on any such risks or uncertainties or to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

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Mike Swick and Roger Huerta’s Thailand gym meets resistance, but venture continues

05/10/2011 | Author: MMA Admin

Mike Swick is fulfilling a longtime dream, and with fellow UFC vet Roger Huerta, he’s opening an MMA gym in Phuket, Thailand.

MMAjunkie.com Radio recently caught up with Swick while he’s in the U.S. following back-and-forth 24-hour trips to the Asian country.

Swick currently is finalizing plans for the new gym’s opening. And though the venture has ruffled some feathers at Tiger Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts – a Phuket gym Swick nearly purchased – Swick said his team at American Kickboxing Academy has been quite supportive.

“Everything I do is affiliated with AKA,” the longtime WEC and UFC fighter told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) earlier this week. “I’ve been a core member with AKA for over 10 years. This will kind of be like AKA’s home in Asia. They’re excited. A lot of the guys I train with have been over there.”

Swick has spent lots of time in Thailand (check out his never-boring YouTube channel for proof). And though he and Huerta have spent lots of training time in the muay Thai hotbed, they’re now looking to take MMA to the next level.

Currently, he says, there’s a void for such a facility.

“We’re doing this to help people out,” Swick said. “It’s been a dream of mine since 2000, when I first started training there. There are so many people who come in from all over the world to train there. Back when I first started there, everything was muay Thai. Now it’s all MMA. People go there to improve their striking for their MMA game, or to get into MMA, or they’re MMA fans. But the problem is there’s no top MMA gym there.

“We’re bringing that to Thailand. It’s going to be very demanding for the pros … and catered to beginners as well. It’ll be a no-ego gym.”

In fact, Swick hopes to incorporate the local community into the project. Oftentimes, the area gyms cater to foreign clientele. But such a setup robbed Swick of a truly motivating force: young muay Thai fighters with whom he previously trained.

“In a lot of the main camps you hear about all the time, they’re all about the money, and the foreigners pay all the money, so it’s strictly foreigners training there,” Swick said. “The only Thais there are working or training people.

“When I was going to Thailand back in 2000, I was really inspired by training alongside these kids that are like 8, 9, 10 years old. They start off that young, and they love it. They train super hard, and they take to the sport like young men. When you see that, it puts a lot of things in perspective and really motivates you to train hard. You’re looking at a kid who’s 10 years old and going out there fighting every other weekend, if not every weekend, with full muay Thai rules like a warrior. It matures you and teaches you that if these kids can do this stuff, everyone should be able to if they put their mind to it.”

The business venture, though, has met some opposition. Swick said he nearly purchased the famed Tiger Muay Thai gym before opting to start his own. Initially, he was wished luck. Lately, though, he – and especially former Tiger regular Huerta – have come under fire.

“Here recently, Tiger has kind of waged war on me and Roger on the Internet,” he said. “They’re upset we’re doing the gym. Everything is mainly directly at Roger since Roger has spent more time at Tiger than I have. But we’ve done nothing but help that gym over the years, all the top-level guys. They never paid us anything. We did seminars. … Roger brought in many guys who got memberships, helped people out, promoted them with all the YouTube videos and advertisements.

“We decided to do our own thing because there are a lot of issues. I’m not going to go too deep and air dirty laundry, but there are a lot of issues. … I was going to buy Tiger a few years ago. I was in really discussions. It was almost a done deal, but I backed out and retracted my offer after finding out a few things. So I told them at that point I was still going to pursue my own gym, and the owner of the Tiger and everyone was like, ‘Please come back and train with us until then. And when you do, we wish you the best.’”

But those friendly feelings apparently have diminished. Swick, though, knows the business world can be unforgiving, so he’s moving along with the project.

As far as his own fighting career, he hopes that, too, will soon see some progress. Swick, a former top middleweight contender who joined the UFC after a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 1,” hasn’t fought in 20 months.

At first, he was dealing with a mystery stomach ailment that robbed him of strength and size. Initially misdiagnosed with a stomach disease, he eventually got proper treatment, felt better, regained his strength, and was booked for a UFC 134 bout with Erick Silva.

But another setback soon followed.

“I came back super strong,” said the fighter, who’s recently competed at welterweight. “I was going this whole camp at over 190 pounds. I felt better than I’ve ever felt in my life. It was going to be the best fight I ever had, but two weeks before I was supposed to leave for Brazil, I was wrestling and got clipped in the side. I blew out my ACL completely, tore my MCL and my meniscus. It was like the trifecta.”

Swick underwent surgery about six weeks ago, and he’s already walking largely with no problems. He thinks he’ll be able to return to full training in a couple months and then book a fight after that. So conceivably, it’ll be 2012 before we see Swick back in the octagon.

With the trip to Thailand, the new business venture, and the injury, Swick remains as busy as ever.

“It’s been a trying year for sure,” he said.

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